This patent application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 106112588 filed on Apr. 14, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to electrically-driven window shades and its actuating mechanism.
Electrically-driven window shades use an electric motor for raising and lowering the shade. The electric motor and the power source for the electric motor are usually placed in a top support structure of the window shade, and a remote controller is provided for controlling the operation of the electric motor. This type of product usually requires a specifically designed motor controller that integrates a wireless capability, which may increase the manufacture cost of the window shade.
Therefore, there is a need for a window shade that can be flexibly configured and manufactured in a cost-effective manner, and address at least the foregoing issues.
An actuating mechanism for a window shade includes an electric motor for driving a displacement of a movable rail, a motor controller electrically coupled to the electric motor and having a first and a second connector, a power supply, a wired control interface, and a removable wireless adapter operable to convert a wireless signal outputted by a wireless control interface to an electric signal. The actuating mechanism has a first configuration supporting wireless control, and a second configuration supporting wired-only control, the wireless adapter being respectively connected with the power supply, the wired control interface and the first and second connectors of the motor controller in the first configuration, and the wireless adapter being removed and the power supply and the wired control interface being respectively connected with the first and second connectors of the motor controller in the second configuration.
Moreover, the present application provides a window shade including a fixed rail, a movable rail, a shading structure disposed between the fixed rail and the movable rail, an elongate tube pivotally connected with the fixed rail and extending generally vertically from the fixed rail, and the actuating mechanism, wherein the wired control interface is disposed adjacent to a lower end of the elongate tube.
According to an example of construction, the shading structure 106 may have a honeycomb structure made of a fabric material that includes a plurality of expandable and collapsible cells. The upper end and the lower end of the honeycomb structure may be respectively attached to the fixed rail 102 and the movable rail 104. According other examples of construction, the shading structure 106 may include a plurality of slats suspended from the fixed rail 102.
In conjunction with
The winding units 114 can be disposed in the fixed rail 102 at spaced-apart locations, and can be coaxially assembled with the rotary shaft 118.
The rotary shaft 118 can be disposed through the reel 114B of each winding unit 114 with the reel 114B rotationally coupled to the rotary shaft 118. The rotary shaft 118 and the reels 114B of the winding units 114 can thereby rotate in unison for winding and unwinding the suspension cords 116.
The electric motor 120, the motor controller 122, the power supply 124 and the wireless adapter 126 can be respectively disposed in the fixed rail 102. The electric motor 120 can have an output rotationally coupled to the rotary shaft 118, whereby the electric motor 120 can drive the rotary shaft 118 to rotate in either direction for displacing the movable rail 104 relative to the fixed rail 102. The power supply 124 can include a battery or a voltage transformer, and can provide electric power for the actuating mechanism 108.
In conjunction with
The motor controller 122 can receive an electric signal from the wireless adapter 126 and/or the wired control interface 110, perform settings, control the operation of the electric motor 120, and transfer electric power outputted by the power supply 124 to the electric motor 120. The motor controller 122 and the electric motor 120 may be disposed at spaced-apart locations, e.g., one or more winding unit 114 may be disposed between the motor controller 122 and the electric motor 120.
The wired control interface 110 can be electrically coupled to the motor controller 122, and can include a plurality of buttons 112. A user can operate any of the buttons 112 on the wired control interface 110 for controlling the operation of the actuating mechanism 108 via the motor controller 122. Exemplary operations that can be controlled with the wired control interface 110 can include performing settings, displacing the movable rail 104 toward or away from the fixed rail 102 for collapsing or expanding the shading structure 106, and the like.
The wireless adapter 126 can receive electric power outputted by the power supply 124 through the cable 136, and transfer the electric power to the motor controller 122 through the cable 134A. The motor controller 122 then can allocate the electric power to the electric motor 120 for its operation.
Moreover, the wireless adapter 126 can receive a control signal, and transmit a corresponding electric signal through the cable 134B to the motor controller 122. For example, the wireless adapter 126 can receive a wireless signal (e.g., infrared (IR) or radio-frequency (RF) signal) emitted from a wireless control interface 140, convert the wireless signal to an electric signal, and transmit the electric signal through the cable 134B to the motor controller 122. The wireless control interface 140 can exemplary include a remote controller having a plurality of buttons, a wireless device having a touch panel, and the like. In addition, the wireless adapter 126 can further receive a control signal that is outputted by the wired control interface 110 and is transmitted through the cable 138 to the wireless adapter 126, this control signal being an electric signal, and transmit this electric signal through the cable 134B to the motor controller 122. Depending on whether a user operates the wired control interface 110 or the wireless control interface 140, the wireless adapter 126 can accordingly transmit a corresponding control signal to the motor controller 122, which can thereby perform settings and/or drive the electric motor 120.
According to an embodiment, the motor controller 122 can include a plurality of connectors 142, 144 and 146. The connector 142 of the motor controller 122 can connect with an end connector 152 provided at an end of the cable 132 for electrically coupling the motor controller 122 to the electric motor 120. The cable 132 may be permanently attached to the electric motor 120 at one end, and a detachable connection can be applied between the connector 142 of the motor controller 122 and the end connector 152 at the other end of the cable 132, which may facilitate installation and removal of the electric motor 120 and the motor controller 122. For electrically coupling the motor controller 122 to the wireless adapter 126, the connector 144 of the motor controller 122 can connect with an end connector 154 provided at an end of the cable 134A, and the connector 146 of the motor controller 122 can connect with an end connector 156 provided at an end of the cable 134B. A detachable connection is applied between the connector 144 of the motor controller 122 and the end connector 154 of the cable 134A as well as between the connector 146 of the motor controller 122 and the end connector 156 of the cable 134B, whereby the wireless adapter 126 may be electrically coupled to the motor controller 122 or removed as desired.
According to an embodiment, an end of the cable 134A opposite to the end connector 154 may further have another end connector 160, and an end of the cable 134B opposite to the end connector 156 may further have another end connector 162. The end connector 160 of the cable 134A and the end connector 162 of the cable 134B can respectively connect with two connectors 164 and 166 provided at an output side of the wireless adapter 126, wherein a detachable connection can be respectively applied between the end connectors 160 and 162 and the connectors 164 and 166 so that the cables 134A and 134B can be connected with or detached from the wireless adapter 126 as desired. The connector 164 of the wireless adapter 126 can be exemplary a DC power connector, and the connector 166 of the wireless adapter 126 can be exemplary a signal connector (e.g., 4-pole connector).
Referring to
Although the cables 136 and 138 have been described as being respectively attached permanently to the power supply 124 and the wired control interface 110, it will be appreciated that a detachable connection may be respectively applied between the cables 136 and 138 and the power supply 124 and the wired control interface 110.
Referring again to
Referring to
When the actuating mechanism 108 is in the setup configuration shown in
Referring to
When the actuating mechanism 108 is in the setup configuration shown in
It is noted that in the setup configuration supporting wireless control, the wireless adapter 126 can also transmit control signals outputted by the wired control interface 110 to the motor controller 122. Accordingly, a user can also use the wired control interface 110 to control operation of the window shade 100, such as performing a setting and/or driving the electric motor 120.
Advantages of the structures described herein include an actuating mechanism having a modularized construction that can be implemented in a cost-effective manner. The actuating mechanism can include a wireless adapter that is easily installable or removed as desired by a manufacturer, a vendor at a point of sale, or even an end user. Accordingly, the actuating mechanism and the window shade described herein can offer more flexibility to support wireless control or wired-only control in accordance with the needs.
Realizations of the structures have been described only in the context of particular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Accordingly, plural instances may be provided for components described herein as a single instance. Structures and functionality presented as discrete components in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the claims that follow.
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